Harvey Barnes sealed victory for Newcastle United at St. James' Park against Brighton & Hove Albion after William Osula and Dan Burn had set them on their way.

The Magpies' 23rd victory of the season in all competitions was a first in six games and Eddie Howe's side had to fight until the last kick at St. James' Park against one of the league's form teams.

Nick Pope made an important save from Jack Hinshelwood inside the first two minutes - then Carlos Baleba's long range curler struck the top of the Leazes End crossbar as Brighton made the stronger start.

But the home side came close themselves in the 11th minute when Osula drifted in from the left and fired just wide.

Seconds later, Jacob Murphy beat Bart Verbruggen to a Bruno Guimarães ball over the top. The Brighton keeper raced from his goal to make a clumsy challenge outside his area but Murphy quickly regained his footing and crossed for Osula to head into the unguarded net for a third goal in his last four matches.

And the Magpies doubled their head in the 24th minute when Burn marked his 150th Premier League appearance by heading home Guimarães' left-wing corner against his former club.

Soon afterwards, a Pope clearance ricocheted off Hinshelwood and against a post but at the other end, good combination between Osula and Willock saw the latter's poked effort kept out by Verbruggen.

It could have been 3-0 when Sven Botman headed Lewis Miley's ball back across goal for Malick Thiaw, but Verbruggen denied the German defender from close range.

A Danny Welbeck header dropped over the bar for the visitors but United had a commanding lead at the break, with Osula shooting wide in stoppage time after a lovely turn and strong run from his own half.

Osula continued to pose a threat for Albion after the break and he was the target when Guimarães raced onto Joe Willock's flick and hit a first-time low cross from the right. Jan Paul van Hecke intercepted, but Verbruggen had to adjust quickly to keep the ball out.

Pope showed similarly impressive reactions to parry a close-range effort from Kaoru Mitoma, although the ball appeared to come off the Japan international's arm. Next, Hinshelwood was off target with a header, then Willock drove wide at the other end.

But - after Yankuba Minteh had lofted wide - Hinshelwood pulled one back. After a sustained spell of Seagulls possession, the England under-21 man drifted into the box, controlled Welbeck's pass and finished superbly.

Newcastle have dropped too many points from winning positions this season but they did just enough to hold on here thanks to Pope's late save from Charalampos Kostoulas' bicycle kick.

Former Magpie Minteh could and should have levelled in the dying seconds when he was presented with a golden opportunity but blazed over from six yards out, and there was still time for Yoane Wissa to shoot off target from Lewis Hall's low centre, and Joelinton to drag wide deep into stoppage time.

But then Wissa teed up Barnes to smash home with virtually the last kick to seal the victory.

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Newcastle United Women fell to their fourth WSL2 defeat of the season, with Jessie Gale scoring a 99th-minute winner for Bristol City Women.

United took the lead early on when Beth Lumsden found the top corner after some nice edge of the area play from Jordan Nobbs, but were pegged back on the stroke of half time by Rio Hardy.

Then, after the Lasses failed to clear a corner, Gale pounced on a bouncing ball in the six-yard box to score with one of the final touches of the game.

With the backing of a strong away contingent, United came flying out of the blocks to put in a solid performance for their fans and could have been ahead inside five minutes.

A long ball down the wing released Emily Murphy, who drove into the box before cutting the ball back to Nobbs, although the pass was slightly behind the number four, and her effort lacked conviction and fell into the arms of Lauren Brzykcy.

However, the Lasses maintained their high intensity and level of performance into the 19th minute when Lumsden scored her fifth league goal of the campaign.

A lofted Freya Gregory cross was only cleared to Nobbs on the edge of the area, and her calm first touch took Sophie Ingle out of the game and set up Lumsden to arrow her strike into the top corner.

A two-minute spell almost saw Newcastle add a second before the break. Firstly, Murphy received the ball on the half turn before seeing her outside of the box strike take a wicked deflection and dip over the bar.

From the resulting corner, Gregory played it short to Nobbs, who gave it back to the Scotland international. She aimed for the bottom corner but it rippled the side netting.

Despite the Lasses playing on the front foot and looking the more dangerous side, an Ella Powell long ball in behind Jemma Purfield saw Hardy bear down on goal before calmly finishing beyond Anna Tamminen from close range.

The blow of conceding just before half time didn't appear to knock Tanta Oxtoby's side as Lumsden was slipped through one-on-one with a perfectly weighted ball from Nobbs, but the number 26 could only lift her effort over both the keeper and the crossbar.

United were continuing to find joy through the connection of Nobbs and Lumsden, with the former releasing the winger away again to bear down on goal, although this time she was forced to shoot off balance due to the recovery run from Gemma Lawley, making it a simple save for Brzykcy.

It was all Newcastle in the second half, and they were millimetres away from retaking the lead after a hacked clearance from Bristol City saw the ball fall to Lumsden, who looked to have scored, but after a save from Brzykcy, the ball spun on the line, refusing to go over.

The Robins almost hit United with another sucker punch when they swiftly counter-attacked after a wasted Newcastle free-kick that ended up with Lexi-Lloyd Smith being played in one-on-one against an on-rushing Tamminen, but it was the Finn who came out on top with a brave low save.

Bristol City were becoming increasingly dangerous on the counter-attack as they worked a three-on-one situation with Lloyd Smith picking out Emily Syme in the six-yard box, but she was denied from close-range by Tamminen, before a last-ditch Jorja Fox tackle stopped Maria Farrugia from putting her side ahead on the rebound.

Ashton Gate was ready to celebrate an added-time winner for the home side with Lloyd Smith delivering a perfect cross to the back post for an unmarked Gale to head into an empty net, but from a couple of yards out, the on-loan Arsenal forward headed wide.

Substitute Gale was the hero for Bristol deep into stoppage time, though, with her close-range finish sending the home fans wild after United were unable to deal with a bouncing ball in the box.

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Arsenal regained their place at the top of the Premier League as Eberechi Eze's first-half strike was enough for the Gunners to beat Newcastle in a hard-fought match at the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta's side had dropped to second place for the first time since October after Manchester City's win against Burnley in midweek had seen them go top of the table on goal difference.

Arsenal started the game well and took the lead in the ninth minute through Eze after a well-worked short corner.

The England international was passed the ball on the edge of the box by Kai Havertz and curled an excellent strike into the top corner.

Newcastle had chances of their own through William Osula, Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali but could not find a way to score in the first half.

Eddie Howe introduced Yoanne Wissa and Harvey Barnes after the break as the away side chased an equaliser.

And Wissa missed a golden opportunity late on to level the match as Newcastle were defeated for the fourth league match in a row.

The win moves Arsenal three points clear at the top of the Premier League having played a game more than title-rivals Manchester City.

The only negative of the day for the Gunners was that both Havertz and Eze had to be substituted with injury.

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